Only one destination in Bulgaria would not have satiated my need to explore the country, especially since Sofia was one of my favourite discoveries of the year! However, since my visit to the country was limited to only five days we couldn’t travel too far. I looked at a list of cities in Bulgaria and decided on Plovdiv. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe. In fact, it’s the oldest continuously inhabited city, with a history of habitation going back over 8000 years.

You can imagine that the Old Town with winding cobbled streets, wooden-shuttered houses and bohemian cafes is a very beautiful destination to explore.

Travel to Plovdiv

You can travel effortlessly from any city in Bulgaria to Plovdiv. There are trains in Bulgaria, but apparently the bus system is more comfortable and faster so we made our way to the central bus station in Sofia, which I have already lauded in my previous posts. There are many different bus companies that travel to Plovdiv, but since it suited our timing we chose Vitosha Express. It cost 14 lev per person (7 euro) and the bus took just 2 hours to reach its destination. Most national buses arrive at Yug Station in the south of town, from there it’s an easy walk to reach the new town.

New Town

In May this year, Plovdiv has been granted the right to become the European Capital of Culture in 2019. You can imagine what that does to a relatively unknown city in a relatively unknown country. The city is already excitedly preparing festivities leading up to the main event and in the middle of new town huge letters proudly declare the news.

You read that correctly, the city which has been inhabited continuously for over 8000 years has an old town and a new town but unlike the towns in Edinburgh,  new town in Plovdiv should be written between quotation marks.

For example, in the middle of the main shopping street you’ll find an Ottoman mosque from the 1300s.

If this were the only old building in “new town” I wouldn’t have said it requires quotation marks. However, during excavations to create the shopping street the builders found a Roman stadium which dates to the early 1st century. There goes your new town!

What’s new about this part of town is the main shopping street, which like Sofia’s is car-free and it boasts beautifully large buildings.

The shopping street seems to be the main hub for tourists and residents alike. The crowd seems young and the streets are clean. There are gorgeous terraces all along the main streets, and there are delicious restaurants in the side alleys. You can shop, eat and drink in this street without it ever being too crowded.

We bit the bullet to try a seemingly popular chain restaurant Happy Bar. It didn’t take me long to figure out what’s so happy about this TGI look-a-like. Pretty scantily clad girls were walking around taking orders and making men nervous. Hooters which I tried in Singapore came to mind, but I have to say that the restaurant is not only a feast for the eyes of men, the food is also pretty delicious.

Old Town

The old town is within walking distance of new town which makes this city very accessible for a two day/one day visit.

The most well-known sight in the area is an ancient theatre which has been built by the Romans. It has been restored and to this day still hosts concerts and other events. Entry to the sight is 5 lev (2,50 euro) and even though you don’t see much more than you can see outside the entrance it’s still worth going in. When I visited no one was inside so I could jump up and down the steps without looking out for other people (in my case it would obviously be a more careful movement up and down the steep steps) and fully explore the whole theatre.

My favourite part are the columns in the back with the headless statues.

Other than that, the streets in old town are largely restored to its 19th century appearance with winding cobblestone street and atmospheric house museums and galleries; not to mention cute artisan souvenir shops where the artists are still selling their art.

Bulgaria is well-known for its roses and if you’re looking for a rose-related souvenir (lotions, perfumes, paintings), you’ll certainly be able to find it here.

Conclusion

Plovdiv is an incredibly cute city with an old town and new town which are easily explored within a day. It’s also worth extending your stay to take in more of the city and to explore the surroundings (Bachkovo Monastery is very close-by). I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again and again until proven otherwise; Bulgaria is a fantastic country with delicious food, friendly people and beautiful buildings and architecture. I’ve only brushed along the surface of this country during my five-day stay but I would love to see more of it one day!